Jack



Aug. 5, 1941. J. A. WASHINGTON JACK Filed July 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1ATTO R N EYS WIYNESS Alig- 1941' J. A. WASHINGTON 2,251,308

I JACK Filed July 15, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESS Patented Aug. 5,1941 UNITED STATES PATENT QEE'IQE JACK Joseph Andrew Washington,Chicago, Ill.

Application July 15, 1940, Serial No. 345,645

1 Claim.

My invention relates to automotive vehicles and has among its objectsand advantages the provision of an improved lifting jack which may bepermanently attached to the vehicle.

An object of my invention is to provide a lifting jack which may bepermanently attached to a vehicle in which the jack includes a liftingcolumn made up of a plurality of hingedly connected sections and inwhich novel means are included for positively latching the sections inend to end relation for lifting purposes.

Another object is to provide a lifting jack having a lifting colunm madeup of a plurality of hingedly connected sections arranged to be enclosedin a protective housing and in which novel means are provided forbringing the sections into end to end relation and latching the sameinto a rigid column for lifting purposes.

With these and other objects in view, this invention consists in certainnovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following descrip tion and accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the axle housing of avehicle illustrating my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the invention.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an elevational sectional view.

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the means forpositively latching the hingedly connected sections with certain partsbroken away for the sake of clearness.

Figure 6 is a sectional view along the line 6-5 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a sectional view along the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

In the embodiment selected to illustrate my invention, I make use of theaxle housing H] of an automotive vehicle. In Figure 1, I illustrate theframe structure of a vehicle at H, the rear wheel at l2 and one of therear springs at it. My lifting jack I4 is mounted on the axle housingl0. Two of the jacks It may be connected with the axle housing onopposite sides of the differential housing I5. Jack Ml includes ahousing l6 having a curved recess ll shaped to partly house the axlehousing ill. The housing I6 includes a lug l8 projecting through anopening l9 in the axle housing, to restrain the housing [6 from relativerotary movement about the axle housing. A clamped part fill embraces theaxle housing ill and is fixedly secured to the housing It by bolts 2|threaded into the housing.

Housing 16 comprises side walls 22 and curved walls 23 and 2t castintegrally with an end Wall 25. Side walls 22 are fixedly connected withthe wall 23 and 2% through the medium of a plurality of bolts 26. Itwill thus be seen that the housing l6 provides a hollow body having astraight, vertical reach El and a curved reach 28 terminating at itsouter end substantially at right angles to the vertical reach 2?.

Inside the housing [6 I mount a movable column 29 comprising a firstsection 30 having a pressure plate or load carrying head 3| and aplurality of sections 32. The sections are hingedly connected togetherat 33. All the sections may comprise metal and are cast hollow forweight reduction and material saving purposes. Sections 32 are identicalin construction and operation, while section 30 is identical with thesections 32 with the exception of its length and the load carrying plate3!. Each section is provided with a rack 34 extending longitudinally ofthe sections. Wall 24 togetherwith the side walls 22 is shaped toprovide a gear housing 35.

A pinion 35 is rotatably mounted on a shaft 31 anchored to the sidewalls. A worm 38 is arranged in mesh with the pinion 36, while thelatter is arranged to mesh with the racks M as the column 29 is moveddownwardly and upwardly of the housing I6. Worm 38 is fixedly related toa shaft 39 rotatable inside the bore 40 in the gear housing. A collar ilxedly connected with the shaft 39 cooperates with the worm 38 torestrain the shaft from endwise movement. I provide the shaft 39 with asquared end 52 for the reception of a socket 43. Socket a3 is formed atone end of the manually actuated crank M. Figure 1 illustrates themanner in which the crank 44 may be applied to the shaft 39 foractuation purposes.

According to Figure 3, the side walls 22 are grooved at 4 5 for slidablyreceiving the ribs 46 of the sections 30 and 32. Grooves 45 extend fromthe bottom of the housing it up to a point corresponding approximatelywith the upper end of the section 30 in the position of Figure 2. Abovethat point, the sections 32 lie on the wall 23. In Figure 2, Iillustrate one wall of the grooves 45 as being extended at M toprovide acamrning surface which engages the lower end of each section 32 as it ismoved downwardly for guiding the lower ends of the sections intostraight, end to end relation as they are moved downwardly or upwardlyof the housing [6. To each face 48 and adjacent the bottom end of eachsection 32, I provide a latch pin 49. To the same faces on all thesections, with the exception of the upper section 32, I pivotallyconnect a latch hook 50. Each section 32 carries two latch pins 49, andI provide one latch hook 50 for each latch pin.

Figure 6 illustrates the manner in which the latch hooks 50 arepivotally mounted on the faces 48. All the latch hooks are mounted inthe same manner so that the description of one will apply to all. Thescrew passes through the opening 52 in the latch hook 5i) and isthreaded into the section 30 as at 53. The screw 5! includes a shoulder54 which may be screwed tightly against the face 48 to fixedly anchorthe screw. Between the head 55 of the screw and the latch hook 551 Iinterpose a spring washer 56 which has such pressure relation with thelatch hook as to restrain it from accidental shifting aboutthe screw 5|as an axis.

To the wall 24 I connect spaced cams 5'5 which are aligned with the camelements 58 of the latch hook 50. Normally the latch hooks 50 arepositioned according to Figure 2, but as the sections are moved into theform of a straight column, the latch hooks 5d are positioned accordingto Figure 5, at which time-the hooks have connected relation with thepins :9 to restrain the sections from relative pivotal movement aboutthe axes of the hinges 33. Latch hooks 5Q together with the cam elements58 are in the nature of bell cranks, while the cam elements 58 lie inthe clear of the cams 5'! when positioned according to Figure 2, but inthe position of Figure 5 the cam elements 58 lie in the path of the camsEll below the same. With the latch hooks 59 positioned according toFigure 2, downward movement of the lifting column 29 through rotation ofthe crank 44 brings the hooks 53 into engagement with the cams 51. Suchengagement is consummated only after the section to be latched is movedinto straight and end to end relation with the lower section to which itis connected. Engagement between the hooks 5d and the cams El pivot thehooks from the positions of Figure 2 to the positions of Figure 5.

Means are provided for latching the hooks 5b in connected relation withthe pins 49. To each of the faces 60 on the sections 32, I connect abell crank 6|. The bell cranks 6! are pivotally mounted on screws 62threaded into their respective sections 32. Between the heads of thescrews 62 and the bell cranks 6| I position spring washers 63, seeFigure 5, to restrain the bell cranks from accidental pivotal movement.Each bell crank carries a cam pin 64. Adjacent the cams 51 I positionblocks 65, which may be anchored to the wall 24 by the screws 56. Cams5'! may be formed integrally with the blocks 65. Each block 65 isprovided with a cam groove 6'1 arranged to receive the pins 54 along oneside of the sections 32.

Figure 4 illustrates the normal positions of the bell cranks Bl when thesections 32 lie in the curved run of the housing It. As the column 25 islowered through the medium of the crank 44, the pins 54 enter thegrooves 61'. During such extension of the column 29, the cams 5'! engagethe latch hooks 5D and pivot the hooks into connected relation with thepins 49, as illustrated in Figure 5. The hooks 56 are connected with thepins 49 before the pins 64 enter the grooves 61. As the pins 64 movedownwardly of the grooves Bl their angular alignment pivots the bellcranks to the positions 68 of Figure 6, at which time the ends 69 of thebell cranks extend over the backs of the hooks 50 to hold them in place.Thus the hooks 50 are latched in connected relation with the pins 49 asthe column 29 is extended for lifting purposes.

My invention is applicable to vehicles of conventional'construction. Thelifting jack is easily attached to the axle housing and the curvedhousing it deflects the column 29 laterally during elevation thereof, soas to conserve space underneath the vehicle. Crank 44 is detachablyconnected with the shaft 39. The vehicle may be lifted through mererotation of the crank 44 in one direction. As the column 29 is projectedfrom the housing iii, the sections of the column are latched in end toend and rigid relation so as to provide a sturdy lifting column. As thecolumn 29 is moved inwardly of the housing [6 through rotation of thecrank 44 in the opposite direction, the cams 5i engage the cam elements58 and move the latch hooks 56 in the clear of the pins .49. Suchcamming relation is consummated after the pins 54 have moved through thegrooves 61 for pivoting the bell crank 68 in the clear of the latchhooks 5t. Because of the effective latch relation between the sectionsmaking up the column 29, the lifting run of the column assumes a rigidcondition and is prevented from buckling. The column is capable ofsustaining relatively heavy loads and the flexible nature of the columnpermits the lifting jack to be accommodated to modern vehicles as apermanent attachment. In addition, the lifting column may be made up ofan unlimited-number of hingedly connected sections so as to secure alifting reach of unlimited proportions, depending upon the operatingconditions for a given installation.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain myinvention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adaptthe same for use under various conditions of service.

I claim:

A lifting jack comprising a support provided with a curved guideway, alifting column movable in said curved guideway, said lifting columncomprising a plurality of sections hingedly connected together, saidsections being provided with pins and hooks, means for moving the hookon one section into connected relation with the pin on an adjacentsection as the two sections are brought into end to end relation, andmeans for latching the hooks in connected relation with said pins.

JOSEPH A. WASHINGTON.

